Harder to Breathe
by Lirallya
Summary: How long can Harry and Hermione carry on their secret romance before Ron finds out? And what does Draco Malfoy have to do with anything? WIP--might return to at a later date.
1. Chapter One

**Harder to Breathe**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own them, just the plot. bows to the lovely and talented JKR

**A/N:** Some of the characters may be slightly to very OOC, but it's my story, and I will do with them what I will. Complaint? Take it elsewhere, my friend. Oh, and the plot of this has little to nothing to do with the plot line of the books. If I get some good reviews on this chapter, I'll continue.

**Chapter 1**

"Are you sure we shouldn't tell Ron?" Hermione questioned, buttoning up her blouse. She turned halfway around, raising an eyebrow at Harry, who was stretched languidly across his four-poster bed. A small smile twitched onto her lips upon seeing his half-dressed, Quidditch-hardened body. The very same body that had been entangled with her own in the heat of passion.

"I told you, it would only upset him. I know he's my best mate and everything...but just not yet," Harry replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Hermione sighed. Her and Harry were not "dating" per say, but rather enjoying a friends-with-benefits type of situation. And the benefits were quite pleasant, Hermione had to concede. She had never expected to be involved in such a relationship, with Harry, no less. But it had been a few weeks earlier, around the start of term of their seventh year, when the whole thing had started. Hermione thought back to that night in the common room...

_Already loaded with homework, Hermione and Harry were the last ones up in the common room. The weather being uncommonly humid for September, Hermione was wearing only her Hogwarts skirt and a thin undershirt, and Harry had changed into a pair of shorts and a tank top. The tank top, Hermione mused, seemed molded to his lean but muscular form. A thin sheen of sweat was glistening on his arms and neck, and Hermione found herself staring. Shaking her head slightly, Hermione turned back to her homework. With her head down, she didn't notice the quick glances Harry was stealing her way, watching the slow rise and fall of her chest. Hermione couldn't help but peek over her book at Harry again. Only this time, Harry was looking right at her. She felt the crimson color flood her face, though she was somewhat amused to see that Harry also bore a red glow. What was going on? Hermione had never been attracted to Harry before. And she was sure he had never been attracted to her... Hormones, she chalked it up to. But there was something about his eyes, something...intense. Though it half-frightened her, a part of her was strangely excited._

_Harry cleared his throat nervously. "Uh...Hermione?"_

_"Yes?" Hermione replied, trying to keep her voice level. She couldn't understand what had come over her. Or Harry for that matter, it seemed. Perhaps it was the heat, or maybe it was just hormones...or both._

_Harry had risen from his seat on the couch and was walking, rather hesitantly Hermione noted, towards her chair. Her eyes were locked with his; those shockingly green orbs. As he got closer, Hermione could smell the scent of his cologne mixed with sweat, and her breath quickened. It was intoxicating. Before Hermione could gather her thoughts, Harry was standing over her. Before she could think of anything to say, Harry leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. And before she could realize the potential consequences, Hermione stood up and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, kissing him back._

_It took a few minutes before Hermione could form coherent thoughts She pulled away from Harry slightly._

_"This is—we can't—we really shouldn't be doing this," she said breathlessly. It felt wrong to be in Harry's embrace like this, yet inexplicably she felt as though she could never pull herself away._

_"I know...but that doesn't mean we have to stop," Harry replied, placing a hand on the small of her back and pulling her close. He gazed down into her chocolate-brown eyes, and she felt her resolve dissipating. As he kissed her again, harder, Hermione felt weak in the back of the knees. Hands on her waist, Harry pulled her gently towards the couch. After placing a light, teasing kiss on her neck, Harry laid Hermione down, then lowered himself down on top of her..._

"Hermione? Did you hear me?"

Hermione snapped out of her reverie and turned to Harry. "Sorry, I must have zoned out for a moment—what?"

Harry sat up and ran a hand through his rumpled hair. "I said: 'Ron should be back soon.' Unless you want him to catch us in here, you should probably head out," he said.

A part of Hermione wanted to tell Ron what was going on, but another part of her was exhilarated by the secret affair. She knew that Ron would feel immensely betrayed as well. Even though Harry and Hermione were not "going out," she knew Ron would feel like a third wheel. The last thing Hermione wanted was for Ron to be hurt; she cared for the boy after all. In fact, that was part of the reason Hermione thought she continued to participate in this liaison with Harry. It helped relieve the frustration she felt due to Ron's inability to act on his obvious feelings. Hermione had always had feelings for Ron, but his constant refusal to admit them drove her mad. Staying and having Ron find her and Harry in a compromising position could prove excellent revenge for all her aggravation, but Hermione knew deep down she could never hurt him in such a way. No, Ron couldn't know about them.

"Yes, you're right," Hermione replied. She pulled her messy hair into a ponytail then slipped on her shoes. Harry was busy putting his sheets and blankets back in order, though he was still only clothed in boxer shorts.

When he was done, Harry pulled on a pair of pants and walked over to Hermione. He pulled her close and kissed her. Hermione parted her lips and allowed Harry to kiss her more deeply. She gained her sense back just before she was about to take all of her clothes back off.

"I really have to go Harry," she said, almost regretfully, pulling away from his inviting arms. The chance of being caught in such a position by Ron was not something she wanted to experience.

Harry frowned slightly, but finally nodded in agreement. "I'll meet you here tomorrow? During lunch?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered. Harry smiled and kissed her one last time before she turned and left the Gryffindor boys' dormitory. Hermione headed down the staircase, feeling a slight pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach. She tried to shake it off, telling herself she had absolutely nothing to feel guilty about, but for some reason, she couldn't.


	2. Chapter Two

**Harder to Breathe**

**Chapter 2**

Ron Weasley headed towards the Gryffindor common room, happily munching on a Chocolate Frog. Weekends always put him in a cheery mood. Even if Hogsmeade weekends hadn't started, it was still better than being in class as far as Ron was concerned. Granted he didn't have as many classes as, say, Hermione, but seventh year was tough nonetheless. Ron was certainly dreading the N.E.W.T.'s at the end of the year. Tests always made him rather nervous, especially ones that could make or break his future.

But thoughts of the future were the last thing on Ron's mind as he finished off his Chocolate Frog and entered the common room. It was too nice of a day to think about anything serious. Just as the portrait swung shut behind him, Hermione appeared at the bottom of the stairs to the boys' dormitory. Ron noted that she looked slightly disheveled, and instantly grew suspicious. Had Hermione been with someone in _his_ dorm? When she spotted him, her eyes widened slightly. Ron's ears burned with a jealous rage.

"Why were you in the boys' dorm?" Ron demanded, striding towards Hermione.

"I was looking for Crookshanks. I haven't seen him all day," Hermione replied coolly.

Ron scoffed skeptically. "Looking for Crookshanks indeed. Who were you up there with? And what's that spot in your neck?! Hmm?"

"Ronald Weasley!" Hermione exclaimed, clapping a hand to her neck, her cheeks turning pink. "How _dare_ you?! And if you _must_ know, Crookshanks nipped at me last night."

Ron inwardly groaned. Now he'd done it. Hermione was likely not to talk to him for at least a couple of days. His temper cooled significantly, realizing that he trusted Hermione. If Hermione said that she was looking for Crookshanks, well then Ron believed that she was looking for Crookshanks.

"Er—sorry Hermione. I didn't mean to, uh, accuse you of anything," Ron said somewhat awkwardly.

Ron could see Hermione's face soften visibly, and he let out an inaudible sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted was to have yet another row with Hermione. He was tired of fighting with her, but it seemed like most of their conversations led to that. He couldn't understand why Hermione seemed so agitated with him recently. _'Women!'_ he'd just thought with exasperation.

"Well, I'm going to go grab something to eat," Hermione said. "See you later, Ron."

"Bye," Ron replied.

They walked past each other and Ron headed up the stairs. He thought of the way he had felt upon first seeing Hermione come down that staircase. Jealously had been an instantaneous reaction. It was so blatantly obvious that Ron had feelings for her, but for some reason he could not bring himself to say so. He cursed himself for being doomed to start fights instead of confessing his true feelings. Shaking his head, Ron pushed open the door to the dorm. What he saw did nothing to help the lingering feelings of suspicion in his mind. Harry was alone in the room, sitting on his bed, pulling a t-shirt on. His hair was untidy, but that really wasn't anything new. Still, Ron felt that all-too-familiar rage bubbling within him. It seemed ever at the surface these days.

"Hey Ron," Harry said good-naturedly. _'Sounds a little too cheery if you ask me,'_ Ron thought angrily.

"Hello," Ron retorted. He did nothing to conceal the harshness in his voice. Harry looked somewhat startled.

"Er—you okay mate?" Harry asked. Ron detected a hint of nervousness in his voice. Or maybe Ron was just being paranoid. Ron narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms nonetheless.

"I'm fine," he said tetchily. "Just wondering something. Why was Hermione up here?"

"Hermione? She was just...looking for something," Harry said.

"Oh really? What was she looking for?" Ron challenged.

"Ron I don't know what's wrong with you—"

"Just answer the question!" Ron's suspicions were nearly confirmed at this point. And he felt like throwing up.

"She was...she was looking for that quill she got for Christmas last year," Harry replied, attempting to sound confident in his reply.

"AHA!" Ron exploded. "I KNEW IT! Hermione was "looking for" Crookshanks. But I know what she was really doing. What _you_ were doing! How could you Harry? _HOW COULD YOU!?"_ Ron's face was the color of the Gryffindor Quidditch uniforms, his voice shriller and angrier by the moment. One wrong word from Harry, and he was ready to lunge at his throat.

"Ron...I—we never meant it to happen...we aren't dating or anything..." Harry floundered, trying to explain the situation.

"I don't want to hear it!" Ron yelled. Not only was he furious with Harry, but with Hermione as well for lying right to his face. He was going to take it all out on Harry however, since he could not keep anything in. "You lied to me, she lied to me, you are both lousy friends! I can't _believe_ you would betray me like that! _YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT HER!_"

Now it was Harry's turn to be angry. "YOU NEVER DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" Harry raged, his eyes now smoldering with fury. "You can't expect Hermione to wait around for you to come to your senses!"

"BUT YOU ARE MY BEST MATE! MY _BEST MATE_ HARRY!" Ron roared. "I thought you were better than that, but apparently you're not. You're no better than Malfoy. You may as well _be_ Malfoy as far as I'm concerned," he added bitterly.

Harry clenched his jaw and jumped up. He strode over to Ron until he was barely inches from his face. "Don't you _dare_," Harry said through gritted teeth, raising a fist.

At that very moment, Seamus and Dean came walking through the door, laughing at something. As soon as they caught sight of the tense situation between Ron and Harry, they stopped laughing. They looked back and forth between Ron and Harry, then at one another.

"What's going on?" Seamus questioned.

"Nothing!" Ron snapped.

"I don't think Harry looking like he's about to punch you qualifies as 'nothing'," Dean commented.

Ron turned to Dean. "Well, I don't really care what you think, and the last time I checked, this was none of your business," Ron replied icily. 

Dean scowled. "Whatever man," he muttered, flopping down on her bed. Seamus followed suit, clearly not wanting to get involved.

Ron turned back to Harry, who had lowered his fist. Ron knew getting into a fight would be useless. Though Ron was taller, Harry was stronger and more muscular. However Ron did not know if he could contain himself. The recent revelation had put him in a particularly bellicose mood.

"So how long has this been going on?" Ron hissed. "Been sneaking behind my back for ages now have you?"

"I don't have to deal with this, Ron. Neither does Hermione. So you just leave her alone." Harry said the last part in a low, threatening voice. Ron did not back down.

"I'll do whatever the bloody hell I want," said Ron.

Harry shook his head and walked past Ron. He pulled the door open, left, and slammed it shut behind him.

"Forget you!" Ron yelled after him. He shot a look at Dean and Seamus, who were openly staring at him. He raised an eyebrow as if daring them to say anything. When neither of them said a word, Ron threw himself down on his bed, not bothering to wipe away the angry tears that rolled down his face.


	3. Chapter Three

**TrInItIsPelL- **Thank you! =) And I'm not quite sure which pairing it's going to end up as...hmm, we'll see how things go...

**Harder to Breathe**

Chapter 3 

Harry really had no idea where he was going, nor did he care. His vision was clouded with an angry red haze. It amazed him just how irrational Ron could be. If he had stayed in that dorm a moment longer, he would have knocked the irate redhead to the floor. Then again, Harry could see why Ron was upset. Everyone knew that he was in love with Hermione. No, Harry thought, don't feel guilty. Ron had never acted on his feelings, not for all the years they had known Hermione. Just because Ron continued to ignore his emotions didn't mean Harry had to.

Harry had admitted to himself that he had feelings for Hermione that went farther than friendship. For him at least, their affair was more than a physical attraction. Hermione _had _blossomed into a beautiful young woman, but it was more than that. Harry wondered why it had taken him so long to realize what a truly wonderful person Hermione was. It seemed as though that was the one situation where Ron had recognized something so long before Harry. The only problem, aside from Ron being absolutely furious, was that Harry didn't know whether or not Hermione felt the same way.

Having been lost in his thoughts, Harry did not realize that he had ended up in the dungeons. He stopped upon hearing himself splash through a small puddle. He groaned and looked up at the ceiling, where a crack was leaking some foul-smelling water. Harry brushed some stray hair out of his face and sighed with annoyance. Of all places, he had ended up in his least favorite part of the castle. At least Snape was nowhere in sight. Harry turned and proceeded to exit the dank hallway when he heard footsteps behind him. Before he could turn back around, a certain unmistakable drawl met his ears.

"Potty lost his way?" sneered Draco Malfoy.

Harry turned, taking a deep breath. He definitely did not need any trouble from Malfoy at the moment. "You think being in seventh year you would have grown out of calling me 'Potty'," Harry replied contemptuously.

Draco walked towards Harry, that insufferable smirk plastered on his lips. Harry would have cursed him on the spot if he weren't so sure that Snape would appear the moment he did so. "The name just suited you so well I figured you'd never outgrow it," Draco said.

Harry scowled. "Well, _ferret_," Now it was Draco's turn to scowl. "If you're done insulting me for the day, I think I'll be leaving."

"What, can't handle a little name-calling Potter?" Draco taunted.

_'Just turn around and leave,' _Harry told himself. Responding to Draco would just be playing in to what he wanted. But Draco had a knack for getting under his skin. "I can handle name-calling just fine Malfoy. I just can't stand to be around Death Eater scum for prolonged periods of time." Harry knew that one would strike a nerve; Lucius Malfoy was currently in Azkaban for his crimes as a Death Eater.

Draco's jaw tightened. Harry could see the malice in his cool gray eyes. For a second, Harry was afraid that Draco might actually attack him.

"Watch it Potter," Draco said harshly. His hand moved towards his pocket, where Harry could only assume his wand resided. Harry reached towards his own wand in his back pocket, just in case Draco tried anything.

But before either boy could remove his wand, heavy footsteps came resounding through the hall, and a dark figure appeared behind Draco.

"Potter, I sincerely hope you were not thinking of casting a spell in Mr. Malfoy's direction." Snape's voice, dripping with disdain, was easily recognizable as the hook-nosed man stepped into the light. Harry noticed Draco casually move his hand away from his pocket. As if Snape would punish his own student anyway.

"No, Professor," Harry said, putting his arms down by his sides.

Snape's thin lips curled into a cruel smile. "Twenty points from Gryffindor," he said callously. Draco grinned.

"For what?!" Harry exclaimed before he could stop himself.

Snape sneered at him. Harry wanted to hit the greasy man. "For attempting to hex one of my students," Snape replied. "Now get out of my dungeon before I take more points from you Potter."

Draco was looking at Harry with great amusement, but Harry did not give him the satisfaction of an upset facial expression. He turned and strode out of the dungeons, doing his best to ignore the mocking laughter that echoed behind him.

That encounter had done nothing to alleviate Harry's frustration. If anything, it intensified it. He resumed his aimless wandering of the castle, losing himself once again in thoughts of Ron, Hermione, and what he was going to do about the both of them. First of all, he needed to find Hermione before Ron did. Ron was going to have one monumental row with her no matter what, but Harry figured it would be better if she were prepared. As if in response to his thoughts, Hermione rounded a corner and appeared in Harry's line of vision.

"Harry!" Hermione called, heading towards him. As she got closer, she noticed troubled expression Harry wore. Comprehension dawned on her face. "Oh no...how...just now?"

Harry took Hermione's arm and led her off to the side of the corridor. No one passing by needed to hear what was going on. "Did Ron catch you on your way out?" Harry asked.

Hermione nodded slowly. "I told him I was looking for Crookshanks..."

"Yeah...I told him you were looking for a quill. I also happened to be putting on a shirt at the time. He jumped to conclusions, accurately, and well, we had a rather loud and angry argument," Harry explained.

Hermione bit her lip in concern. "No one heard you, did they?" she questioned nervously.

"Not at first...but Seamus and Dean came up about halfway through. I think they probably know. I doubt they would say anything," Harry assured her. Though he wasn't entirely positive himself.

"Is Ron still up there? What did he say? Was he terribly upset?" Hermione began throwing questions out at Harry.

"Of course he was upset Hermione. What do you expect? He called us both lousy friends and told me I was no better than Malfoy. And as far as I know, he's still up there blowing steam out of his ears," Harry replied, slightly irritated. Was Ron all Hermione could think about at the moment?

"What are we going to do about him? He's going to be mad for some time—"

"Hermione!" Harry interrupted. "What are we going to do about _us_?"

Hermione paused for a moment. "Us? I don't know...I mean, Ron knows now, which is what we were worried about. I suppose the question is do we continue on because we no longer have to hide it, or stop because Ron is thoroughly miserable?" said Hermione.

Harry honestly did feel bad that Ron had to find out that way, but he didn't want to break off his "relationship" with Hermione. He wondered if that made him selfish. But then again, if Hermione didn't want to break it off either...

"What do you think?" Harry asked her.

Hermione seemed torn in two directions. She had a distressed look on her face, and she was tugging anxiously at some loose strands of hair. Harry couldn't help but feel a little bad about himself, in lieu of the fact that Hermione hadn't immediately assured him that she wanted to continue seeing him. He waited for her response, hoping she would tell him that she most definitely did _not_ want to break it off. But her answer was not what Harry was expecting.

"I—Harry—I have to...I have to go," Hermione stammered. She gave Harry a doleful look before turning and heading off down the hall, leaving him alone and perplexed.


End file.
